The government of Uttar Pradesh has approved the setting up of 18 new cyber labs, with one lab in each of the 18 police ranges of the state. This decision is expected to help police tackle cyber-related crime challenges more effectively. The state government has also agreed to allocate Rs 40 crore for this project in the first phase. The DIG of UP cyber cell, N. Kolanchi, said that until now only one cyber lab was functional at Forensic Science Lab in Lucknow.
Kolanchi said that each police range will now have its own cyber lab, which would hasten cybercrime investigations as the pressure would no longer be on one lab. In the new cyber labs, specific tools will be present which will expedite investigations. The cyber lab’s tools would include forensic disk imaging, media content indexing tools, and software programs required for digital forensic evidence investigation.
Officials have studied existing cyber labs in other states such as Gujarat, Mumbai, Delhi, and Telangana, and analyzed police models in places such as New York to finalize an advanced structure of labs for the state. The official added that cyber help desks are now being set up in all police stations.
Kolanchi further stated that the establishment of these cyber labs would make it easier to arrest cybercriminals and expedite pending investigations. In addition, UP police personnel have been posted at NCRB’s online cyber training module ‘Cytrain.’ Another senior official at the DGP headquarters said impetus is being made on Uttar Pradesh State Institute of Forensic Sciences (UPSIFS) to come up soon.
